Good Morning
by garconne
Summary: Married for nearly a century, Loki and Sif have been reunited after a tragedy and now live in a quiet villa with Fandral, Loki's second lover, in the scenic hills of Vanaheim. Eventually, Sif and Fandral wonder if the two of them being together would upset the balance of things, and Loki's reaction to the idea catches them by surprise.


_Notes:_

_1) Zachary Levi is the only Fandral. Amen._  
_2) Loki's hair looks like his messy prison hair except longer. This is important to me._  
_3) General disclaimer that this is the first time I've attempted poly fic!_

* * *

Afternoon in Vanaheim brought crowds to the market. Sif didn't mind; it was good to join the world, if only for a few hours at a time. The air was crisp and the market was alive, bustling with customers exploring the wealth of booths and shops. Sif weaved through them, buying first a slab of meat from the butcher, then an assortment of vegetables, a long stem of plump grapes, a carton of eggs, and bread. Her basket was heavy by the time she passed by the square, where a string quartet was playing old classics while a few couples danced.

Returning home to the villa, she let her hair down and left her shoes by the door. The house was quiet as she came into the kitchen, set her basket down, and stepped outside, where a gentle breeze rustled the trees across the river bank. A previous owner had knocked out a great section of the back wall so that it opened up to an expansive patio, which they had adorned with ample plush furniture, floor cushions, and tables with stacks of books.

She found her husband outside, dozing on a scarlet sofa, his long hair splayed across the pillow. Her heart sank a little to see him alone. She would have so liked to return and find him resting with his blond lover, but Fandral was nowhere to be seen. They'd been acting oddly distant over the last few days, and she had hoped in vain that being away for a while would give them a chance to reconcile. She idly considered trimming Loki's hair as he slept and smirked to herself as she headed back to the kitchen.

Coming in from the patio, there was the dining table, made of light wood with matching benches. The kitchen was there along the side, sectioned off by a sub wall with a few high stools. And then there was the downstairs bed in plain sight just steps from the kitchen-odd placement be damned, since it enjoyed a constant flow of fresh air and had become Sif's favorite spot to sleep. The breeze carried in the scent of the river, with its steady melody permeating calm to every corner of the villa.

It wasn't long before Loki stirred at the smell of the stew she'd started for supper.

"Hello, darling," he said softly, still groggy, his mess of black curls falling in his face. "That smells incredible. Can I help?"

He pressed his lips to her cheek.

"Sure," she happily agreed.

Fandral appeared then, too, coming downstairs with wet hair and clean trousers.

"Oh!" came his delight at seeing and immediately eating a few grapes from the table.

"Just for you, dear," Sif said.

"Thank you," he said with a cheeky smirk.

After Loki had chopped the remaining vegetables and added them to her stew, he abruptly pulled Sif into his arms. He was more sentimental more often now after the scare she'd given him some months before.

They brought steaming bowls of stew to the table, where Fandral had eaten nearly half the grapes. Loki started crumbling a slice of bread into his soup just as soon as he sat down, and Fandral complimented Sif's meal. Loki was quiet as they ate, and then Fandral disappeared immediately after they'd cleared the table. It wasn't like them to behave like acquaintances.

* * *

Sif followed Fandral upstairs and found him in his favorite reading nook, curled up on the sofa with a tattered classic.

"Care for some company?" she asked, stepping around the stacks of books strewn across the carpet.

"Certainly," he said, setting his book aside and repositioning.

She eased into the couch next to him.

"I don't want to intrude, but something seems..._off_ between you and Loki?"

Fandral sighed. His face told her she was right.

"Honestly, I have no idea what's bothering him," he said. "But, as I'm sure you know, he just gets like this sometimes. He's barely interested in speaking to me the last few days, to say nothing of going to bed."

He paused for a heavy sigh before he spoke again, seemingly gathering strength.

"Do you think he's…" he started. "Changed his mind?"

Sif took his hand. "Fan, Loki loves you. And we both love you being here."

He looked down.

"Did this happen much when you two lived alone here?" she asked, thinking of the months they'd spent there before she'd made it back to them.

"Occasionally. It was different, then, because he thought you were... I'd wake up alone and find him outside weeping into his hands, and he'd grab me and beg me to never leave him. And then he'd be very quiet the next day."

Sif's heart broke a little to think of her husband's misery. "I'm so grateful he had you. I still am."

"Thanks to you," Fandral said, clasping her hand.

They'd been shocked at her initial proposal that Fandral should stay there with the two of them, but she was adamant that her return wouldn't mean anyone's heartbreak. Loki and Fandral loved each other, and she wouldn't ask her husband or their closest friend to give that up. And for nearly half a year, things had been well.

"What was he like when you were first together?" she asked. "All those years ago in Asgard?"

Sif hadn't spent much time alone with Fandral, and she enjoyed the chance to get him talking.

"Oh," Fandral chuckled a little. "We were so young then. I'm sure you know how it started."

She nodded.

"We were still just friends, at first. But he surprised me."

"How so?" she asked.

"He was so passionate, so intense. God, he was so… I'd never been with a man like him."

He sounded breathless to think of it. Sif smiled at the color coming to his cheeks.

"We were so happy for a while, like anyone would be, I suppose," Fandral went on. "I started calling him _my prince_ and I think he liked it as much as I did. But things changed when we started calling it love."

"What happened?"

"What do you think?" he sighed. "He was insecure, jealous, suspicious of me. And he'd get angry for no reason. He convinced himself I was going to leave him, and he made it so. I loved him so much, even then, but after a while I realized we were making each other completely miserable. It killed me to leave him."

"How you must have hated me," came Sif's whisper.

"Oh, no, not at all. I could never."

The last word was heavy in his mouth and he let it hang in the air for a moment, holding her gaze.

"That was years later, anyhow," he continued. "When I heard the two of you were engaged, I thought, well, he must have grown up, because I know she wouldn't tolerate his horseshit like I did."

Sif stroked his arm. "Aw, Fan."

Just then, Loki walked up.

"Here you are," he said. "The house is so quiet."

"Loki, come and be with Fandral," Sif insisted, holding out her hand. "He needs you."

"Darling?" Loki said, taking a seat on the other side of him.

"He's just told me of your history," Sif said, leaving the rest to Fandral to explain if he liked.

She kissed Loki's temple before she walked away, looking back just before she rounded the corner. The look of pure adoration in Fandral's eyes when he was with Loki always tugged at her heart. She'd known Fandral for centuries and had never seen him look at anyone-no woman or man-the way he looked at Loki. And she could hardly blame him for that.

"I take it that's not all you talked about?" Loki asked, a subtle swell of dread in his chest.

"You've been a bit distant," Fandral said softly.

"I know," Loki said, pulling him closer and kissing his cheek. "I'm sorry."

"Have I done something to upset you?"

"No, Fan, it's not you."

"Then what? What's bothering you?"

Fandral smoothed out Loki's eyebrow with his thumb. Loki sighed and started to play with the fringe on a pillow.

"I'm just the same fool I've always been... I've had it in my head recently that you'll tire of this and leave us."

"You cannot be serious."

Loki avoided his gaze.

"Loki."

"I know."

"Loki, you _fucking idiot_, you are completely stuck with me."

Fandral wiped away a tear that had dripped down Loki's cheek.

"I love you, you know that," Fandral said. "I've promised you a hundred times over I'll never leave you."

"And you're happy here?" Loki asked.

"I've never been so happy!" he said, incredulous, knocking his book to the floor. "Do you know that when you behave like that, I start to think you don't want me around?"

Loki pulled him closer again, holding him tight against his body and kissing his head.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I love you, Fan."

"I'm not going anywhere," he said into Loki's shirt.

Loki kissed him flush on the lips and Fandral melted in his arms. Fandral could always tell when a kiss was more than a kiss with Loki, and now he lingered and Fandral instantly wanted him. Loki was swiftly on top of him and they tore at each other's trousers; it had been a while, after all.

Down on the patio, Sif knew their conversation had gone well when she heard moaning from upstairs. She smiled to herself and then shed her dress and headed across the patio and down the sloped yard to their private stretch of river, letting her mind go blank in the cool, clear water.

Fandral braced himself on the sofa as Loki fucked him, looking him in the eyes as he first pressed in. Loki kept kissing him as they made love, sighing against his lips as if they hadn't seen each other in weeks.

"Oh, gods, Loki," he breathed into his ear, getting more sweet moans in response.

Loki rocked his hips in steady rhythm, panting and holding his sweet blond lover. He adored Fandral and deeply loved him, yet he seemed prone to messing it up in some way. Stretched out naked on the couch over his darling, dashing boyfriend, he breathed his scent and let his insecurities fall away.

Fandral abruptly moaned at a higher pitch and lost himself in waves of scarlet bliss that pulsed through him with his lover's rhythm. Loki's cock was _so good_, Fandral mused, that he must have used some kind of sorcery to get it just right-intensely, perfectly right, so that each thrust tempted to push him over the edge. He grasped Loki's shoulder and his breath shook when he was on the cusp, slowly pumping his own cock with his other hand.

"Ah, fuck," he breathed.

"That's it," Loki answered, hot breath on Fandral's ear.

Fandral cried out and held his tip as he came, panting and trembling as Loki came just after, riding out his own orgasm with his final thrusts. Loki collapsed onto him and Fandral laughed.

"You are so lovely," he said when Loki looked him in the eyes again.

They lingered on the couch for a while and then rose and went to shower together, holding each other under the warm stream when their skin was clean.

* * *

Freshly dry, Loki dashed downstairs to find his wife. She'd fallen asleep outside, letting the wind dry her skin, and a chill had crept into the evening air. Loki covered her with a blanket and rubbed her shoulder.

"Hi, there."

"Hi," she purred, turning to him.

"Thank you," he said, moving damp hair out of her face.

"Of course. Is everything alright?"

He nodded. "I'm going to spend the night with him, if that's alright."

She nodded back. "Glad to hear it."

"Are you alright?" he said, stroking her leg.

"Perfectly well."

He pulled her into a kiss and his embrace was warm in the brisk air, the scent of soap on his clean skin.

"You know I love you more than anything in all the realms," he said.

"I do. And I you, Loki."

He kissed her again before he left, and Sif gathered up her blanket and went inside to the downstairs bed, where she was quickly asleep again.

As he headed up the stairs, Loki felt a fleeting pang of misplaced guilt over not staying with her, after so many nights spent aching for her when he'd thought her dead. He reminded himself that it was Fandral who needed him tonight and found him in his bedroom on the second floor. He flung himself into bed next to him and looked him in the eyes as he started to stroke his hip, but Fandral seemed worlds away.

"Something on your mind, love?"

"I'm going to do better," he said.

"How's that?"

"I used to give you space anytime you seemed distant, but I know that's not what you need, is it?"

Loki kissed him. "I'll be better, too."

Loki resumed rubbing his hip and Fandral sighed with desire and pulled him to his lips.

Loki moved his hand from Fandral's hip over to his cock, rubbing the shaft to get him hard, and when he was fully there, he stopped abruptly and gave him a light stroke. And then another. Fandral held his gaze, his cheeks flushed. His erection twitched and Loki smirked. Fandral was so beautiful when his eyes were cloudy with lust, damp gold locks falling into his face. When he bit his lip, Loki relented and moved down his torso, first teasing only the tip with his tongue. Fandral writhed desperately with a breathy laugh. Loki knew he loved it when he drew it out a bit. He took him in, then, all at once, and Fandral bucked his hips and cried out to feel that beautiful warmth of his mouth finally there, surrounding him, waves of bright pleasure curling his toes and pricking the corners of his eyes. Loki had always been gifted with his mouth, maybe moreso than anything else.

Loki was well aware of his talents and prided himself on his ability to send his lovers' heads spinning with a swish of his tongue. He had to stop himself from smirking when Fandral moaned at a higher pitch than he did for anything else, his breath and hands shaking. Loki loved and worshiped his cock with his mouth, taking the load with ease when Fandral cried out a second time, and kissing him sweetly before he'd returned to his lips.

Fandral was still in a daze as Loki moved to lie behind him, wrapping his arms around him and kissing his shoulder.

"Are you not going downstairs?" Fandral asked.

"No, I'm staying with you tonight," Loki said, realizing Fandral hadn't already known.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Sif knows. I'll see her tomorrow."

Fandral turned to face him and touched his cheek, bringing his lips to his own again. They drifted to sleep in each other's arms, and Fandral was vaguely aware of Loki whispering something as he faded out, though he could not remember his words the next day.

* * *

Fandral awoke with the birds and found his cheek stuck to Loki's arm. He eased up gently and kissed the rosy spot he'd left there, and then crept down to the kitchen, greeted at once by the smell of food.

"Good morning," Sif said from behind the counter.

"Did you cook again? I was going to make you breakfast," he lamented.

"Maybe tomorrow."

He took a seat at the bar. Sif served him eggs with sausage and potatoes on a blue plate.

"How are you?" she said, reaching across the counter to touch his arm.

"That's delicious," he said with the first bite. "I'm perfectly well. Thanks to you."

"Ah," she shrugged. "Happy to mediate."

Fandral ate more of his eggs and Sif poured him a glass of fresh juice.

"When did he stop doubting you?" he asked after a while.

Sif was somewhat surprised by the question and took a moment to think.

"Or..._did_ he stop doubting you?"

"I think the key is more that I don't give him the chance. I...preemptively reassure him. I have for a long time. I never want any doubts to creep up on him. As he's inclined."

Fandral nodded. "I've got to get better at that."

"You will."

They both ate in silence for a while, with only the sound of birds and the river. When the ceiling creaked above them, they knew Loki was awake.

"What would you think of it being all three of us tonight?" Sif abruptly asked.

Fandral shot her a wide-eyed glance and then looked positively giddy.

"Well, there's my answer."

"It's been so long!" he realized.

"Too long."

Just then, Loki appeared.

"Good morning," he said, coming around the counter and kissing his wife. "Did you cook again?"

"Yes, I have your plate here."

"You're such a dear," he said playfully, kissing her again.

Fandral picked at his food, waiting for her to tell him.

"Darling," Sif said seriously, holding Loki's waist. "We'll both fuck you tonight, if you'd like?"

"Oh," he said in surprise, looking from her to Fandral and then back. "Well, gods, it's been a while hasn't it?"

"I think you made him blush," Fandral laughed. "Good morning, Loki."

* * *

After breakfast, Sif took to the patio sunbathe, dropping her robe and lying on her stomach. Loki's hands, oiled and fragrant, found her shoulders shortly, and her body relaxed under his touch. He knew how much she loved to have her back rubbed, and she had his full attention now after his time with Fandral. Loki worked her muscles, taking care wherever he found a tight spot, though the awful knots she'd carried in Asgard were all but gone these days.

She purred as he rubbed her back, and when he made it down to her waist, he dipped to kiss her tailbone.

"What would you think of having a vegetable garden out here?" she suddenly asked.

"Excuse me, I'm trying to seduce you, and you're talking about gardening."

"Terribly sorry, that feels divine, darling."

He moved down her back to her legs, rubbing every muscle, and then to her arms and hands, which he saved for last since he knew how she relished them. After he folded her second arm back to the cushion, he cleaned his hands and lied next to her, pressing his lips to her cheek. She smiled and embraced him, their skin warm in the sun.

"You really want to grow vegetables?"

"It would be work, I realize, but think of all the trips to the market saved," she said, idly playing with his hair.

He nodded. "Well, you'll have my help if you like."

"I thought you were seducing me?"

Loki smirked and pulled her to his lips. Soon his trousers were shed, her legs draped over his waist. He liked to fuck her lying on his side since it was a lazy position for both of them and allowed him to easily rub her clit while he was in her. Sif adored sex outdoors, especially on a day with a pleasant breeze. She'd made sure Fandral wouldn't be uncomfortable with the sight, and he wasn't in the slightest, passing by now toward their stretch of river for a swim. For his part, he seemed more inclined to take Loki upstairs, which was entirely fine with her, although she did enjoy seeing them together when she got the chance. She opened her eyes and kissed him, bringing herself back into the moment. Loki's brow against her temple, his breath on her shoulder, she gasped and sighed with his movement.

Loki worshiped Sif with his body, his mouth, his hand. She was a goddess to him now at least as much as when they were young. She cried out and her voice was a gift to him; he kissed her cheek and then her brow. She breathed his name and he circled her clit with his finger, fucking her shallow for a moment, and her body quivered with the sparks of his sweet pleasure, lighting up her body and warming her skin more than the sun.

She held his face and looked at him a moment, breathing in his breath, her heart racing. His eyes were clear blue pools that held within them the person who meant more to her than any soul in the cosmos. Her heart racing, she gasped more urgently and he echoed her.

When she was on the cusp, she held his hip and arched her back, and he was right there with her, urgent whining in her ear. He saw that they came together, crashing into her as she reached her precipice, riding out the waves of orgasm with slow, steady thrusts, so as not to lose the sensation to force.

They lied naked for a while, tasting each other's skin and messing up their hair, before they joined Fandral in the river. The water was a cold shock after roasting in the sun.

Sif was swiftly out and dressed again, and a shovel found her hand. She'd let no new task linger in her mind for long. Loki helped her break ground for her new garden and Fandral came over to see what they were doing. He thought it an awful chore, but Sif enjoyed working with her hands and striking the soil. It had just been a long time since she'd had reason.

When the sun started to sink behind the trees, Sif headed to the market for seeds and supper. Loki took to the living room on the front side of the house to paint in solitude. He had gone without his hobby for a long time, and only returned to it in recent months when Sif surprised him with the supplies. Fandral was distracted for a while collecting attractive rocks around the riverside and then disappeared to his reading nook upstairs.

* * *

The three of them naturally spent time apart before what would take place that night. It was a great breath preceding a daunting performance, of sorts, and they were each preoccupied with anticipation as the evening wore on. A smile curled Loki's lips anytime he thought of his two lovers in bed with him. And when night fell and their light salad supper had settled in their stomachs, they were all three ready.

"It's a beautiful night for it, isn't it," Sif mused, wrapping her arms around her husband.

Fandral kissed Loki's cheek from the other side. "Perfect."

Loki's heart fluttered. He was already fully aroused by their simple touches. "I'm ready."

The position was simple enough. It had taken a few tweaks to get it just right, but now they'd fall into place with ease. Sif lied on the bed first, on her back, and then Loki would be beside her, facing her, Sif's legs draped over his hip-the same way they made love alone. Now, Fandral would be behind him as well.

Loki might've expected such a scenario to inflate his ego, but the reality was a heightened vulnerability. He had to take care not to let himself finish too quickly, and Sif and Fandral were keenly attuned to the delicate balance of giving him ultimate pleasure while also helping him last as long as he could.

Sif started out by kissing his neck and stroking his chest. She knew his heart must already be racing, as was hers. She let out a soft cry as he was in her, and he rocked his hips a few times as Fandral's lips found his shoulder.

"Are you ready for me?" came his soft inquiry in Loki's ear.

Loki nodded, and Sif pressed her lips to his again, stroking his hair. Fandral took some lubricant from the table at the foot of the bed and was swiftly behind Loki. Sif only had to watch Loki's face to know when he was in place. He breathed in a sharp, shaky gasp and his eyes clamped shut.

"You alright?" came Fandral's voice again.

Loki nodded. "Ah, gods, yes."

Sif could feel Loki's heartbeat in her lips when she kissed his chest. Fandral eased into slow thrusts and Loki purred into Sif's ear. If she got up on her elbows a bit, she could see the beautiful motion of Fandral's hips behind Loki's ass. She looked back at Loki and started gently tightening her muscles around his cock, nearly in rhythm with the thrusts.

"Fuck," just barely escaped Loki's lips in a breathless whisper.

"That's it," she said, kissing him again.

"Gods, Fan," Loki said, this time at normal volume.

"Too much?" came Fandral's voice.

"No, that's, that's-" he trailed off into happy moaning and let himself move inside Sif.

She cried out again and soon the three of them shared a chorus of delight in the dim light of the breezy evening. Sif and Fandral turned their full attention to Loki, and he kissed his back while she kissed his lips.

Waves of sweet pleasure coursed through Loki's body from two directions, like currents meeting in a stream, swirling behind his eyes and receding only to surge again and again. Soon he was drowning in them, gasping and panting for breath, each motion of Fandral's cock and each reflexive motion of his own sending him deeper until he was submerged and enveloped between his two darlings.

"He's close," Sif said, kissing her husband's brow.

Loki nodded, his eyes closed. Her voice sounded like a memory and he held onto her.

"Faster?" Fanrdal asked.

Loki shook his head. "Not yet."

They resumed their original pace and Loki laughed as his body quivered. Sif smiled. When his moaning became a high-pitched whine, they both knew.

"Faster," Loki confirmed.

Fandral complied, and Sif pulsed her muscles again. Loki's hand was hastily on her clit and vigorously rubbing, all urgency with little finesse. She cried out above the two men's voices, reaching her peak first, and Loki was shortly behind her, his moan blasting her ear, and then Fandral last, with a soft cry, cute relative to the first two.

The three of them lied panting for a time before Sif and Fandral again turned their attention to their prince. Fandral moved up and embraced Loki from behind while Sif pressed her lips to his cheek.

_That was amazing,_Loki wanted to say, but the words didn't seem adequate for what they'd just experienced.

They each cleaned up and then helped him get situated more comfortably, lying on his back with his head on a pillow, them on either side. Sif was stroking his hair and Fandral's fingers were entwined with his when he finally spoke.

"That was….gods, that was perfection, wasn't it?"

They both smiled and kissed either side of his face. When they had just started to drift to sleep, Loki spoke again.

"You both mean the world to me."

Their arms crossed over his chest as they embraced him.

* * *

Fandral was up first the next day, making breakfast as promised. Loki and Sif were still dozing in the bed across the room, tangled up in the white sheets.

The sun didn't want to wake up, either, hiding under a gray blanket across the sky, and an indecisive breeze told him rain was coming. It was a good thing, too, because the river had been starting to get low and his feet had dragged against mossy rocks when they swam the day before.

There was a distant crack of thunder as he added spinach leaves to his egg mixture, followed by an assortment of cheese. Sif was a great cook, but he was an artist, and he deliberately set out to prove himself.

Sif stirred then, and Fandral saw her and Loki share a long embrace before she was up from bed and making her way to the lav. Loki stretched and came over to him, rubbing his eyes, and without speaking his arms encircled him, his skin still warm from bed. Fandral fed him a berry and Loki smiled in the way that always made him swoon. Loki looked him over, his sweet, beautiful love, and ran his hands through his blonde locks before pulling him into a long kiss. Fandral dropped his spoon to the floor and melted in Loki's arms.

Sif saw them as she came around the corner, kissing and holding each other with such fervor that she wondered if they might fuck on the counter. She hung back for a second, not wanting to interrupt the moment.

Loki abruptly pulled back and looked Fandral in the eyes again. "Good morning," he said, taking another berry and leaving him in a happy daze.

Sif smiled. She so loved to watch them together, to see how they adored each other. It made her heart sing and overflow with joy enough that she had to hold her face in her hands a moment after she saw. It was something like being in love with their love. And she felt that she loved Fandral now, too, for how could she not when he was so beautiful and so dear to Loki? Never in her life had she been so full with love.

The three of them enjoyed Fandral's gourmet breakfast and he feigned humble graciousness when they repeatedly complimented and thanked him. He had long prided himself on his morning cooking, and it meant more to him now than ever before, since it was a genuine gesture of love for his two cherished companions.

Rain came down in silver sheets all morning, easing up to a trickle in the late afternoon. When the sun came out, painting rainbows in the sky and across the fields, Sif took to swimming. She was alone for a while in the fresh water and then heard someone else join her. She figured Loki had followed, but whirled around to see Fandral there instead.

"It's so deep again," he said.

He was beautiful as an angel in the sunlight, pushing his messy golden locks away of his eyes as he treaded.

"Do you want to go over to the cove?" she asked.

It was as fine day as any to make the swim around the bend.

"I had the same thought," he said. "I certainly need the exercise."

She smiled and turned to the bank and saw Loki sorting through a stack of books on the patio.

"Loki!" she called. "Do you want to come with us?"

She didn't have to explain where they were going.

"I haven't the energy, go on," he called back.

"Come on!" Fandral protested.

"I've got to shit!" he called back with a laugh, choosing a book and disappearing.

Sif laughed and shook her head at his candor. "Charming."

"The man we both fell for," Fandral jokingly lamented.

Sif muffled her laugh underwater and they both made for the cove. Swimming against the current was a welcome chance to get their muscles moving, and they stayed in time next to each other for the full trip, side by side. Sif felt oddly protective of Fandral when Loki wasn't around; she caught herself in a silly daydream about coming to his rescue if they encountered some imaginary river beast.

The cove was an indentation in the cliff where they could come up on the rocks near a small waterfall. Sif liked to walk behind the curtain of water and part it with a finger, while Fandral swam around below it, searching for interesting rocks. Diving down, he saw that the rainwater had carried new findings to the pool. Rummaging through boring pebbles, he came upon a curved shell and snatched it up, smiling with pride at an intact nautilus fossil.

He surfaced and came over to Sif.

"Look what I found."

"How beautiful," she said, running her fingers over it.

She looked up at his face again. He was all dark eyes and pink lips up close.

"You have freckles," she said, amused.

"It's all the sun."

Fandral held her gaze for a moment. He was used to seeing Sif undressed around the house but rarely got such an extended view of her, with her damp hair draped over her breasts. They were each wearing an undergarment below the waist and nothing more. She looked like a selkie of legend come to lure him to his death with her beauty. Surely she'd succeed.

"You have some, too," he said, moving a wet lock of hair out of her face. "I hadn't noticed."

For a split-second, Sif wanted him to kiss her and then snapped back to reality.

"Ready to head back?" she asked abruptly.

"Sure," he said, taking a step away. "Have I done something wrong?"

She sighed and shook her head. Her heart thumped. She had no interest in lingering tension or unspoken desires.

"Fan," she started. "Would you ever want...the two of us to be together as well?"

He looked vaguely surprised but not at all embarrassed by the question.

"I've wanted to ask you the same thing," he admitted.

She idly imagined letting him have her right that second, against the wall behind the falls.

"Not without his blessing," she said.

"Of course."

"I'll be the one to talk to him."

"Of course," he repeated.

They stood silently for a moment. Sif spoke again.

"If it's a no, we'll respect that and not press the matter...and go about repairing any damage."

Fandral nodded slowly. "Do you think it's a bad idea? To ask him?"

She sighed again. "I honestly don't know. But I have no interest in secrets. I'll just need to wait for the right moment."

Returning with the current meant they could relax and back float all the way if they wanted to, watching the clouds and tree branches go by. It felt surreal for both of them to have finally acknowledged their attraction to each other, however unsurprising it had been. When they reached their bank, Sif found Loki waiting for them in the water and drifted directly into his arms, wrapped her legs around his waist, and kissed him.

"How was the cove?"

"Lovely," she said, turning to Fandral. "Show him what you found."

Fandral came over and produced his fossil for Loki.

"Ah, that's what? Twelve now?"

"Three," Fandral sneered, snatching it back.

Lok laughed. Fandral got out of the water and went to lie in the sun to dry. Sif kissed Loki's neck and tasted the river on his skin. She felt his fingers rub her underwater through her undergarment and gasped. He smirked and slipped a finger under the fabric and then inside her. She sighed against him and arched her back. Loki kicked his feet to push them across the stream to the big rocks on the other side, then hoisted her up on one and pulled the garment off. She sang like a siren to feel his tongue and now he tasted the river on her skin. She held his head as her legs and breath started to quake. Loki was an artist with his tongue, she always thought, each stroke sending bright bursts of pleasure through her body until sparkles danced behind her eyes and she was floating in a radiant cloud of light. She laughed at the absurdity of her bliss-induced imagery and spread her legs wider on the rock.

Fandral smirked to hear her, appreciating how generous Loki was with his tongue lately. He found himself paying more attention than usual to Sif's moans. Would Loki really object to them being together? Could he? Would that be fair? He pushed the thought away. Fairness wasn't the point; he could never do something that would hurt him. But Loki couldn't possibly be shocked by the question after Fandral had confessed to him that he'd been hopelessly infatuated with Sif when they were young warrior apprentices in Asgard... Could he? Fandral swallowed. It was pointless to attempt to predict how Loki would react. He had his issues with jealousy and abandonment, and imagining the two of them together might very well set him off.

Sif scared birds away when she came and then slid off the rock and into her husband's arms, laughing and panting.

"I think your pants got away," he admitted, realizing he'd let go instead of setting them on the rock.

"No matter," she said, laughing again and kissing his beautiful mouth.

* * *

They were in the downstairs bed together that night when she decided to ask him. Fandral had gone upstairs and the house was quiet, with only the faint sound of the creek and a few crickets in the distance. Loki was running his fingers over her back and she purred at his touch. She rolled over to look at him and found him happy and content. She hoped her question wouldn't ruin it.

"I want to ask you something."

"Anything."

His eyes sparkled in the darkness. She could feel her pulse in her throat. Loki noticed her solemn expression and sat up on his elbow.

"What is it?" he asked, kissing her forehead.

"Ah, darling. It's just. I wonder if you'd be alright with...Fandral and I being together as the two of you are."

He raised his eyebrows. "I wondered if that might come up someday."

"Of course if you don't want it, it won't happen. I could never."

She ran her hand through his hair. Loki didn't need to ask her if Fandral wanted it, too.

"How could I deny you when you were the catalyst of all this?" he mused. "Our...private paradise."

She rose to her knees and straddled his lap, holding his face in her hands.

"Loki, you don't owe me this. Neither of us would do something that would hurt you in any way." She ran her hands through his dark locks again. "I wouldn't want him if you didn't love him. You understand?"

He nodded. He seemed to be taking it well. "And how do you feel about him? After this time together?"

Sif held his gaze for a while before she answered. She was always honest with Loki, but for a moment she considered just how frank she should be.

"I care for him deeply…" she started. "Truthfully, I love him. Maybe not in the same way you do. But in a way I never expected."

Sif felt as if she had spilled out part of her soul. Loki pulled her into an embrace and she held him tight against her.

"I never expected I'd have you both," he said into her shoulder.

"And you do. Have us." She looked at him again. "You know I love you more than anything-"

"-in all the realms," he said with her and smiled. "I know."

She pressed her lips to his, hard. "Don't answer me now. Just think on it. There's no haste."

He smirked at the last bit, since nothing about their life seemed to require haste anymore.

"Did something happen at the cove today?" he asked after a while.

"Just an earnest conversation. Nothing more without asking you."

Loki nodded and lied down, pulling her into his arms. They had both started to doze off when he spoke again, as he liked to do.

"Does he know you've asked me?"

"Yes," she said quietly.

As she fell asleep, Sif remembered how Loki had held her and they'd both sobbed when she first returned to him. She hadn't meant to be so long coming back, gods knew, but she had been happy to learn that they had gone away together, for she knew well what that meant. After she'd been captured on the expedition in Jotunheim, only a few days had passed before the group had come upon a display of corpses mounted on spikes. A tear dropped to her pillow even now as she imagined her poor husband crumpling to his knees at the sight of a false body. But Fandral had promised her he'd keep him alive, steer him away from vengeance, and he'd held true to that promise tenfold. She had suspected he must still love Loki in some way, counted on it, and her instincts proved right. _You needn't have asked, Lady Sif,_he had said back then, there in the freezing darkness of his tent.

She reached out and touched Loki's arm before she drifted into dreams, grateful for every part of their new life. Her question suddenly seemed trivial, but she didn't regret asking.

* * *

Sif awoke lying alone. She lingered in bed for a while and felt knots creep into her stomach when she remembered their conversation. If he didn't want it, she could forget the idea, but he never would.

Fandral could see in Loki's eyes that she'd asked, that he knew. When Loki passed by with just a quick good morning and headed outside, Fandral had to catch his breath. Remembering Sif's guidance and his own promise, he followed him out into the sunlight.

"You're always so beautiful in the morning," he said, wrapping his arms around Loki's waist and kissing his shoulder.

Loki met his gaze. "So are you."

He kissed him and Fandral was grateful for it.

"I need some time to think," Loki added.

"Alright," he said, easing off a little, suddenly nervous again.

"I'm not cross, Fan. I'm just thinking."

Fandral nodded, realizing he was the one who had needed reassurance after all. He was starting to turn away when Loki spoke again.

"Does she know how long you've wanted her?"

There was a hint of amusement in his voice. Fandral was caught off guard by the question, his cheeks instantly flushed.

"No, I suppose not."

Loki smirked and returned his gaze to the river bank. Again, Fandral started away only to stop short.

"Fan."

He turned back.

"Do you love her?"

Fandral took a heavy breath and regarded Loki for a moment.

"How could I not?"

His voice and eyes were sincere and Loki liked the answer. Fandral left him alone, then, and found Sif watching them from the threshold of the patio.

"He says he needs time to think."

She nodded. "That's good. No rash decisions."

Fandral looked her over, standing in the morning sun in her sheer nightdress. There was so much more he wanted to say to her.

"You look lovely," he settled on.

Sif gave him a coy smile and took one of her books to a shady bench, where she stretched out to read. A while later, as she expected, Loki found her and scooped up her feet into his lap as he joined her. She set her book aside.

"I have two stipulations," he announced.

She sat up to better face him and took his hand. "Yes?"

"First," he began, his eyes fixed on hers. "Only _my_tongue will ever know your cunt."

A smirk curled the corners of her mouth and she half-wanted his tongue to know her right there. "Alright."

"And second. You and I will choose some room of the house, any room, that only the two of us may enter from here on. And when we're inside we shall not be disturbed."

"Alright," she said again.

She appreciated his logic; their private room would help reaffirm the dynamic of the relationship.

"What do you think? Rational?"

"Of course it is. I like it. I like us having a room to ourselves." She smiled. "Are those your only requirements?"

"Thus far... Do you have any for me? Is there anything else that should be ours alone?"

She was surprised by the question. It hadn't even occurred to her to place parameters on his time with Fandral since the three of them had lived there.

"Well, we already have something else: _More than anything in all the realms_."

"Always," he said, unwavering, and kissed her.

Loki called to Fandral and he was swiftly there, eagerly dropping to a cushion before the bench. Loki re-explained to him what he'd already told Sif, and after some initial surprise, Fandral agreed it was all perfectly fair.

"Darling," Sif said, touching Loki's arm. "Perhaps Fandral should choose the room. After all, he's never to enter it again."

Loki considered it and nodded. "Agreed."

Fandral chimed in. "Well, you ought to take the east corner upstairs. It gets a perfect view of the sunrise."

"Are you sure?" Sif asked.

"Oh, certainly. I prefer to read on the west side, anyway."

"That settles it," Loki said with a smirk. "Should I leave you to it?"

They both looked stunned.

"Only joking," he said, starting to rise from the bench.

"Wait," Sif said. "Do you want us to remain downstairs? Or keep it private?"

Loki considered the question. "I'll leave that to the two of you, for now."

Fandral felt his cheeks burning in spite of himself. Loki plunked down on the cushion next to him and threw an arm around his back.

"There _was _one other thing."

He had their undivided attention.

"The two of you are in love, as you've each separately confided to me," he plainly stated.

Sif and Fandral smiled at each other. Loki continued.

"If that weren't true, I wouldn't want this. I'm glad to know the two of you can see in each other what I do."

Sif stood up then and sat down on the other side of Loki, pressing her lips to his cheek. Fandral followed her lead. Loki wrapped his arms around them and kissed their heads.

"This is wonderful," he said, his tone softer and more sincere than before. "I know this is truly wonderful, for all three of us, and I won't mess it up."

* * *

It was evening when Sif and Fandral took to the living room near the front of the house. Loki had fallen asleep outside, and when Fandral looked at her, they both knew. Standing near the old green sofa amongst Loki's art tools and unfinished paintings, Sif spoke first.

"Even though we have his blessing, I'm sure I don't need to tell you that we have to be extremely cautious about this."

Fandral nodded.

"Especially the first time," she went on. "He'll get our full attention afterward and tomorrow, until we're certain everything is alright."

He nodded again. "I think he will be."

"I'm optimistic, too," she said with a smile.

They were so close to each other now that he breathed in her air as she spoke. She touched his cheek, then, and her tone shifted.

"I've always cared for you, but I never expected this. You have become so dear to me, Fan, I—"

He cut her off by kissing her, finally, pulling her against him and running his hands up her back.

Sif's body blushed at his touch and she returned his embrace, touching him like never before.

"You were saying?" he said, his eyes sparkling.

Sif smirked and shook her head, kissing him again. It had been well over a century since she'd felt anyone's lips aside from her husband's. She realized that her hands were shaking and Fandral took notice, too.

"Are you alright? Is this too much?"

"No," she said happily. "It's good nerves. It's been so long, you know."

He nodded. "I never thought this would happen."

Loki was well aware of what was transpiring in the living room as he went to the kitchen for water. He found himself fretting a bit, thinking they wouldn't know how best to please the other. If only he could coach them. He chuckled at the thought. He stopped then and smirked to himself, realizing what he was doing. He carried no single shred of jealousy over the two of them being together. He felt a spark of pride to think he had evolved in such a way. He pushed away the idea that they were getting it wrong and reminded himself that they needed the chance to get to know each other as he knew each of them.

Fandral dipped to kiss Sif's breast as they lied together on the sofa, clothes shed on the floor. He was hard and panting and the coarse hair on his face felt so different against her mouth. With steady hands, she cupped his ass and spread her legs, wet and aching for him. But just as she took a breath and expected to feel him in her, he hesitated.

"You alright?" she asked.

He nodded and kissed her once more, and then she gasped to feel him press in, holding his ass to feel the motion of his hips as he finally fucked her. He was so beautiful so close, and her hair smelled like flowers when he kissed her neck. Sif moaned and sighed in his ear the way he'd heard her from afar so many times before, and he held her close, not taking one second or one centimeter of her for granted. He pulled up to look her in the eyes and they adored each other for a while as he rocked his hips.

Sif was rubbing her own clit now, which she found perfectly fine; she didn't expect Fandral to copy Loki's position. He was sweet and passionate and she couldn't stop herself from laughing with happiness a few times to finally know him. When they were both close, he laughed with her and they pressed their brows together as they peaked.

Lying on the couch afterward, the house was silent. Sif rose and pulled on her dress, only to feel Fandral's arms encircle her from behind. They held each other for a moment before they returned to the back and found Loki outside, facing the river again in the dim light of the fading sunset. They both came over to him, embracing him from either side.

"Hello, darlings," he said, wrapping his arms around them.

Sif was surprised by how rapidly her heart was beating.

"Hello," Fandral replied, but only Loki heard him.

Loki wanted to ask them if everything went well, but he knew the answer, and they stood quietly for a while. With her cheek against her husband's breast, Sif suddenly felt a rush of emotions that threatened to spill out. She refused to lose composure in front of Fandral after they'd just been together for the first time.

"Loki. Could we go up to our room for a while?" she asked, breaking the silence.

Her calm, composed facade might have convinced anyone but him. He could see the storm brewing behind her eyes and she immediately had his attention.

"Of course," he said.

He turned back to Fandral and kissed him goodnight, and Sif followed suit, embracing their lover and holding his face a moment before they left.

* * *

A single tear had slipped down her cheek by the time they made it to the room. Loki shut the door and immediately took her into his arms, stroking her back. For a moment she just breathed against him, and then she allowed herself to let go, tears flowing into his shirt in an endless stream.

Loki didn't have to ask why. He understood the strange mix of emotions that followed being with someone else while she was alone in the next room-even as dearly as he loved Fandral, Sif was his wife, and it was something they'd both sworn against so long ago.

Sif did not like this at all. She was supposed to be a pillar of strength, making sure Loki was alright, and here she was sobbing into his arms.

"Aw, Sif," came his voice in her ear. "It's alright. Everything is alright, darling."

She held herself against him and soon her eyes relaxed. She looked up at him and he wiped the wetness from her cheeks. There was a question in his eyes, but he didn't speak.

"I didn't think I would… I don't know why…" she started and stopped.

"I understand," he said.

She sighed and looked around the room. It was a small bedroom with dark walls and one large window that offered the scenic easterly view Fandral had described.

"Are you alright?" she asked, glancing back at him.

"I am _perfectly_well," he insisted, knowing full well what she meant.

She rubbed her eyes and he kissed her temple.

"Was it a mistake?" he asked.

"I don't think so… No, I can't say it was a mistake."

He nodded. "It's the first time, that's all. It gets easier. It will get much easier."

Sif was touched by his kind words; he clearly _wanted_her to grow more comfortable with Fandral in the same way he was. She embraced him again, their arms tight around each other.

They went to bed shortly and she fell asleep in her husband's arms, smiling just before she drifted off. Some time in the night she awoke to a clap of thunder and discovered Loki pulling the window shut. His chest was wet with rain when he came back to her, and they shared a single long kiss before they passed out again.

Daybreak greeted them with an orange sky and rosy clouds, gold light painting the river and hills below. When Sif looked out at it, she thought it a sweet gift from Fandral when he chose that room for them. Loki stirred and pressed his lips to her ear and sat up to look at her, his long, tangled curls falling in front of his shoulders. His hair could be as long as hers soon, she mused, looking him over in the morning light. He smiled to see her happy again.

"That is quite the view," he noticed.

"I'll say," she said, still looking at him.

Loki smirked and kissed her head. "How are you, my love?"

"I'm well," she said warmly. "I'm glad for this room. Our room."

They found Fandral in the kitchen, spreading nut butter and peach jam onto his toast.

"Good morning," he said, "I wasn't sure when you'd be down, so I didn't make-"

"That's alright, darling," Sif said, pulling him into an embrace.

And then Loki's arms were around both of them, and all three of them held each other, laughing a bit as they stood in the kitchen with their heads together.

"Good morning," Loki said.


End file.
